EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON YOUTH: A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS

The study looks on how social media affects youth. Our lives are greatly influenced by technology and innovation, therefore it's critical that we have the skills needed to effectively handle them. Educating youngsters how to use social media can help them excel in their careers and advance personally. On the other hand, overuse of social media has been connected to a number of behavioural health issues, such as disordered eating and problems with self-image. Mixed results have been observed in the research on this topic; for example, some studies have shown that social media use has a significant detrimental effect on mental health. It is worrisome to learn that in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the rates of various mental health conditions among adolescents, including depression and suicide. The rise of social media has coincided with a deterioration in mental health among adolescents and young adults in India, leading to concerns that these platforms may negatively affect mental well-being. This paper explores the relationship between social media use and mental health through correlational and descriptive analyses. Utilizing a generalized difference-in-differences empirical approach, we examine youth mental health data in relation to usage of Social media. Our findings indicate that the introduction of Facebook correlates with an increase in symptoms of poor mental health, particularly depression. Additionally, we observe that students who are most vulnerable to mental health issues show a rise in the use of mental healthcare services following Facebook's introduction. The study also reveals that students are more likely to report experiencing impactive effects after Facebook’s launch. The data for this research was collected via Google Forms and supplemented with case studies, providing insights into how today's youth's extensive social media use and uncritical consumption of online content may impact their mental health.